Rehashing the Past
by xcountrygurlx
Summary: Carrie hasn't seen Sebastian in over a year, but when they run into each other in the city, are they ready to be together again? Or will their past get in the way?
1. Chapter 1

Rehashing the Past

"Bradshaw."

Those two syllables changed my life. And I was hearing them again for the first time in a year. I quickly tried to think of something to say. For some reason "hi" didn't seem to suffice, but that was all that my brain could think of.

"Hi."

"Hey." We stood there in silence for some time while I thought of something to say.

"How have you been? It's been awhile." Awhile meant one year, two months, and four days. So I guess you could say I haven't seen him in awhile.

"I've been…okay, getting by. How about you?" We stepped into the side hallway of the Oak Room, where I was reporting on a woman named Francesca Bonagore.

"About the same, what are you doing here?"

"My dad is engaged to Francesca, so I decided that a night out on the town might do me good. Are you working?"

"I was, but I'm off the clock now." A silence followed the lull in conversation.

"Listen, do you think we could talk? Someplace more private preferably." He suggested as he looked around at all of the people occupying the room.

"Yeah, um, we could go get some coffee?" I asked with a questionable tone. He nodded and we headed around the corner.

"I can't believe I ran into you, where are you living now?"

"I did a semester at UCONN, and I hated it, so I spent the past five months in Europe, trying to forget."

"Forget what?"

"Everything. Forget about how stupid I was, and how selfish. Forget about how much I hurt you. Forget about you, Carrie. I always seemed to hurt you and I hated myself for it. I probably shouldn't even be here now."

"I'm a big girl Sebastian. I can make that decision for myself." It came off sounding cold, but it was true. I had grown so much in the past year. I became an adult and could function in one of the most dangerous cities in the country, with Walt that is. We were the proud renters of a small apartment in Queens, and by small, I meant two miniscule bedrooms and a small kitchen, with a couch in it, along with a TV.

"I know that Carrie. I know you are, I've been reading your stuff in Interview. It's really good." I had gotten my first by-line the summer after graduation, and many others followed.

"I am currently a subscriber to the magazine." He chuckled as he said it.

"Oh, did you enjoy our end of summer special on hairstyles? Crimping your hair is not the look this fall apparently."

"I don't read it for the fashion tips, I read it to keep up with you, see what you're up to. The fashion tips are just a nice bonus." His last sentence made me laugh.

"I'm not great yet, but it keeps me busy."

"Well I certainly think you're great. The city sure has changed you Bradshaw, you're drinking black coffee now?"

"It seems like the only thing that can keep me awake now adays. So how long are you in the city for?"

"Just tonight, I'm supposed to head to the Hamptons with my mom tomorrow for Labor Day weekend."

"Oh, where are you staying?"

"I'm not quite sure yet, I figured that I could just find some place to stay."

"Sebastian, it's the week before Labor Day weekend! The city is packed! It's everyone's last chance to get their last piece of the city during the summer! You're never going to find somewhere. Why don't you just stay with Walt and me?"

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that, I'll just drive back to Castlebury and stay at my dads."

"It's already almost one in the morning! Just stay with us for the night. Come on, we even have air conditioning!" I persuaded, knowing that would be a deciding factor due to the heat wave going through the city right now. It was one in the morning and almost 94 degrees still. The humidity did awful things to my hair. I pulled it back because it was starting to frizz out.

Sebastian reluctantly agreed to stay with us and thanked me the whole subway ride there.

"Now this isn't some swanky hotel, but we get by. Now, it's a little small, I have to warn you." I unlocked the door and he looked around.

"It's perfect for you. It's exactly how I imagined your apartment would be." He looked at all of the things on the walls and our furniture. I was flattered by what he said, I took pride in my apartment. He put his bag down on the couch.

"I'm going to go change out of these shoes and then I'll be right back. Make yourself comfortable." I headed back into my bedroom and pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top. Luckily, I had shaved my legs this morning. My curly hair was pulled back from my face in an attempt to beat the heat. I opened up my door once I was finished dressing and saw the door to our small balcony open. Walt wasn't home yet, and I wasn't sure if he planned on even coming home tonight, he might be staying at Bennett's. I stuck my head out of the door and saw Sebastian leaning over the edge of our railing, wearing athletic shorts but no shirt.

"What're you doing out here?" I went out and stood next to him. I handed him a beer that I grabbed out of the fridge and he happily obliged.

"Just thinking. You know, for how much you apologized for your small apartment, I think it's kind of amazing. This view is great." Our view was a great one, since we weren't in the heart of the city, we had the perfect view of the city line. The streets of Queens were still busy at night too, but nowhere near what Manhattan was like. I had grown to love Queens. It was my home away from home when I needed to escape the city and all of my work problems.

"I really do love it here. It was treated me pretty great. I love to sit out here in the summer and write, or just watch the people below. It's my saving grace. I feel so free up here, you know?"

"Yeah, I know the feeling."

"Except last winter when Walt jammed the sliding door and we spent two nights with the door halfway open because the landlord couldn't fix it right away. Then I hated it." He laughed at my story.

"I was just worried about Baby getting out."

"Baby?" He asked when I mentioned a name he didn't know.

"Oh, that's my cat. Walt jokes and says he did it on purpose because he hates her. But I love her. She's great."

"Well I can't wait to meet her."

"I'm sure she'll make an appearance, it is a small apartment." After that, we stood in silence for a few minutes, drinking our beers. My midriff was showing slightly because my tank top was a tad too tight. Something caught Sebastian's gaze and he stared at me. I knew what for too.

"When did you get that?" He touched my hip, which made me shiver, even in this heat wave.

"That was a drunken mistake. I learned my lesson to never let Larissa be the soberest one in the group because we all woke up with tattoos that morning. Thank god mines small and I can cover it up."

"What does it mean?"

"It's Hindu for recovery." I knew telling him this would only spark bad memories, but I didn't want to lie to him.

"I was thinking about getting it removed anyway, it shouldn't be too expensive because it's only a couple centimeters big."

"No, don't. I like it." He said quietly and pulled his hand away from my exposed hip.

"I still feel awful about that night." He said after a couple of seconds of silence. I was disappointed because tonight had been going so well, too. This would just lead to fighting.

"You shouldn't, I'm here and I'm fine, aren't I? I got exactly what I wanted. I'm in the city and I love my life." For some reason he had a hurt look on his face. I didn't know why though, I had told him to not feel bad anymore. Maybe it was because I said I had gotten everything I wanted, when in fact I hadn't, I didn't have him.

"I didn't mean it that way Sebastian. I wanted to be with you when you came to my house after graduation, I just couldn't be with you then. My dreams were so close I could taste them and I couldn't give that up. I had to be selfish because there were too many things that happened between us. But that was over a year ago. Things are different now. Hey." I touched his bare arm to get him to look at me.

"I know that. I understand that after what happened we couldn't be together then. I just can't believe I did that Carrie. I feel so much guilt from that night still."

"Sebastian, you have to let that go. I'm fine now! See, look, I'm right here." I took a step back to prove myself as hot tears rolled down his face. We had never gotten the chance to talk about that night, so this was the first time we were and it felt like they were fresh wounds, literally.

"Carrie, I almost killed you! How do you expect me to live with myself? I almost ripped you away from your dad and Dorrit, who had already lost your mom that year! I almost ripped you away from Mags and Mouse! Not to mention Walt! This was a bad idea, I'm sorry." He moved to go in through to door, but I stepped in his way and took another step closer to him.

"It wasn't your fault Sebastian! It was icy outside! No one should have been driving; it wasn't your fault! I asked you to come get me, so if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been driving in the first place." I yelled back, fully aware that the people on the street below were probably wondering what was going on.

"Carrie, I would've done anything for you. I still would." He said and turned back to face the city with his back towards me.

"I know that, and I know you would never do anything to intentionally hurt me, okay? Some would even argue that you saved me that night."

"What are you talking about?" He scoffed.

"My dad has told me time after time that if it weren't for you, I would be dead right now. I was stupid and wasn't wearing my seatbelt. You kept me from flying through the windshield that night!"

"I was so worried about you when I woke up. I remember it like it was yesterday. After the accident happened, I opened my eyes and thought we had both died. The first thing I saw was your hair. Your beautiful hair," He touched my hair in my ponytail before continuing, "was covered in blood. I couldn't speak, or move, but I knew that I had to get you out of there. I panicked." My mind thought back to that night.

"I don't even remember much of that night, but my dad told me that you explained to him that we had been fighting, but I needed someone to pick me up from the train station and it was late, so I called you. I don't remember the train ride, or calling you, or getting in the car, but I remember how I felt in the car. My heart hurt so much about you and Maggie, but I had to call you or walk home. I had a long day at work and I just didn't have the energy in me to walk home. You were the only one I knew who was awake at that time. I remember crying the entire way home, but we didn't talk. Not a word. Why is that?" I asked out of pure curiosity. I didn't want to make him feel even worse, but I had to know.

"Because no matter what I said, your mind was made up. It wouldn't have made a difference if I told you that it was a huge mistake and how sorry I was, you already knew that. I wouldn't even have known what to say anyway. Nothing can excuse the way I acted. I was selfish and stupid. I was worried if I admitted it that I would lose you for good." The accident happened in early March, right after Maggie had told me about Sebastian and her kissing. I was mad at them both. I was angry that Sebastian had lied to me and hadn't told me. I was furious that Maggie would betray me like that.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"I think I at least owe you that much after all of the pain I've caused you."

"Can you tell me what happened that night, all of it? Because all I have are pieces of what my dad has told me and my fragmented memory."

"Of course, do you want to go inside?" I nodded, realizing my beer was finished and I wasn't in the mood to have another. I walked in and he followed me. I saw Walt was at the kitchen counter, going through the mail and Bennett was sitting on the couch.

"Hey Walt! Long time no see!" Sebastian greeted Walt with a handshake and Walt said the same thing. Sebastian and I both tried to hide the fact that we had both shed tears only minutes before.

"Well, we'll be in my room if you need us." I knew Walt would be curious, but his curiosity could wait until the morning.

"Alright sounds good." He waited until Sebastian was in my room before grabbing my hand.

"Are you going to be okay?" He looked at my tear-stained face and knew that I wasn't okay. He knew me better than anyone, but he also knew that the one person who could fix me was Sebastian.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks Walt. I love you." I gave him a quick hug before retreating to my room. The next couple of minutes would help me sort out my past year and a half and finally give me answers.


	2. Chapter 2

Rehashing the Past

Sebastian was sitting at the end of my double bed, which was pushed up against a wall. I sat down in the corner and stretched out my feet so they were in Sebastian's lap. This move was bold, but if I acted like it was nothing, maybe he wouldn't know that I was trying to be cute.

"Where to start, huh? Well Maggie had come to your house to tell you about us kissing because she was under the impression that we weren't together and she felt really guilty. You were mad because you had just been to see me and you told me that you wanted to have sex with me and that you loved me and that I hadn't said a word about the kiss with Maggie. You didn't speak to Maggie or me for that next week. I hadn't expected to hear from you ever again actually, so when my phone rang at one in the morning on Thursday, I was surprised to hear your voice on the other end. Your voice was different though. You were quiet and short on the phone. The only thing you said to me was 'Can you come get me at the train station? I don't know who else to call.' I told you that I'd be there in five minutes and you hung up without a goodbye or anything. You sounded mentally and physically exhausted, so when I pulled up to the train station, I didn't bother to try and make small talk because I knew that would be a bad move. So we sat in silence. About three minutes into our drive, I could hear you crying. You were trying to be quiet so I wouldn't hear you, but the music wasn't on. I didn't know what to do. My heart was breaking as I was watching your heart break because of me. I was pulling over so I could say something, anything, in hopes to make you stop crying. It was killing me inside and I couldn't even imagine how you felt, and that only made me feel worse. But anyway, so I was pulling over, but we drove over an ice patch and the car started to fishtail. I was trying to get control of the car, but I couldn't, my last hope was to just let go of the wheel and face whatever happened and try to keep you safe. I remember the split second when we were fishtailing and spinning into that tree, you looked at me and had a look of pure fear in your eyes. We didn't even have time to scream, but I threw my right arm over your body, it was an instinct I guess. The sound of crunching metal is forever in my mind, I can never get that sound out of my head. The car hit the tree on your side. My head had hit the steering wheel, so I was unconscious for a few seconds. When I came to, I saw your hair, like I said, covered in blood. I couldn't hear anything, but my ears were ringing. I could see a few people had gathered and they kept trying to say things to me, but I couldn't understand them. It was the people from the houses we were near. They were trying to tell me to stay calm, an ambulance was on the way. I remember there was this lady. She was crying so hard, and I didn't know why. I managed to gather the strength to move my neck and I looked down at my body and realized that I was covered in blood. I didn't know if it was yours or mine. I was hoping it was mine. Then I did something I had never done before. I prayed. I thought that if God let you live that I wouldn't care what happened to me. The people you love couldn't lose someone else. I prayed that God would take care of you. I couldn't feel anything in my body so I couldn't tell if I was hurt or not, but my elbow was bent in the opposite direction. They told me later that was because you flew out of your seat and the force had dislocated my elbow in the process. That made me feel pretty woozy, but I knew I had to stay long enough for the paramedics to get there so I could tell them to get you out first. My eyelids were so heavy, but I mustered up all I had and I tried to talk, anything would have been okay, a yell, a moan, just something to see if you would react. After about two minutes of whispers and unidentifiable words, I managed to say your name. I kept saying Carrie, Carrie, and you wouldn't wake up. I couldn't move my body so I was yelling at this point. The paramedics got there and saw that I was conscious and probably in a lot of pain, so they started working on getting my door off. It was a small car, so there wasn't much left of it. I looked the first guy in the eye and I could tell I was fading fast, so all I could say was 'Her first. Not me." They hesitated for a second, but started working on getting you out of the car. Then I went unconscious, but I knew one of the people who saw the accident and he said that soon more paramedics arrived and they started working on me while they were working on getting you out. They got me out first and put me on a stretcher, they were strapping me down and putting a neck brace on me and apparently I woke up and said 'Call her dad. Bradshaw." And then I went unconscious again." He paused to collect his thoughts for the next segment of the story. I was crying now, not because of how grave I realized the situation really was, but how much Sebastian cared about my safety before his and how he prayed that he could die as long as I lived.

"The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed a few hours later. I'm not too sure what happened between then. I asked the nurse about you and she said the only thing they could tell me was that you were here at the hospital. She left and I took that time to assess my injuries. I had a sling on my right arm, which was in some bit of pain and my legs were sore, but nothing major. I had 19 stitches on my forearm in the sling because my arm collided with the windshield, as it was shattering. I had six stitches on my forehead, right above my left eye form my head hitting the steering wheel. The doctor came in and told me that I had a severe concussion and that I would have to be woken every two hours to make sure that I hadn't suffered any brain damage. He told me that after I got some rest that I would be taken for a CT scan in the morning. I asked him what time it was and he told me it was five in the morning and that if I wanted, some people wanted to see me. I expected my mom, or maybe even my dad, I told the doctor yes and while he went to get them, I closed my eyes. My eyes were burning and my throat was so dry. My voice was hoarse and probably unrecognizable. I heard voices soon and realized that they weren't of my parents. I opened my eyes slowly to see that it was Mouse and Maggie. All I could say was 'Carrie?' But they knew what I meant. They both were obviously upset, so I feared the worst. They told me that you were in surgery still and it took them almost an hour after I got to the hospital to get you out of the car. They told me that they knew you definitely had a fractured kneecap, and a pretty deep gash in your abdomen from glass, but that it hadn't pierced any vital organs. You were in surgery to fix your knee and get the glass out of your stomach they told me. But I knew something else was happening that they weren't telling me. All I could say was 'Tell me.' They looked at each other before Mouse went ahead and took one for the team. I will never forget the words that she said to me, she said 'The doctors aren't sure that she's going to wake up. They said there's a chance that she suffered major head trauma in the accident.'" He was crying now, reliving these memories that must have been awful for him.

"You don't have to keep going if you can't. You've already given me more than I could have asked for."

"No, it's okay, I want you to know everything that happened. They told me that your dad wanted to see me since he couldn't see you yet. I was nervous as hell, given the situation. I thought he was going to finish me off. But he came in, he was crying, and all he said was thank you. He kept saying it and I was so confused. I asked him for what and he told me that you would have gone through the windshield if it weren't for me holding you into your seat. I felt awful for all of the pain I had caused him and was surprised that he didn't hate me. He didn't even know if you were alive Carrie and he was thanking me. He had to leave soon because the doctors wanted me to rest. I was in and out of consciousness for the next few hours and they put me on pain pills which had just made me more tired, but the nurse told me that every time she woke me up the first thing I'd ask was how you were. The only real memory that I had about the day after was the incredible pain in my head and the even worse pain in my heart. You were all I could think about that day. They told me that you made it out of surgery and now it was up to you when, and if, you were going to wake up. After three days in the hospital, they were letting me go home with my mom, who had finally showed up the day before. Before I left the hospital, I wanted to see you. I knocked lightly on the door and opened it with my hand that wasn't injured. Your dad stood up at the sight of me standing in your doorway. He hugged me lightly, glad that I was okay, and left me to talk to you. I told you that I loved you more than anything else and that you had to wake up because if you didn't, I would never forgive myself. I sat down in the chair next to your bed and remember it being to most excruciating pain. My muscles hurt so bad, but all I wanted to do was climb into that hospital bed with you and hold you until you woke up. I promised God then that if you woke up that I would leave you alone forever. If He let you live I would let you be because I only made your life worse. I had to leave then, and my mom took me home. Mouse called me that night to let me know that you were awake. I knew I couldn't come see you because I only make things harder for you."

"I thought you were mad at me, and that's why you didn't want to see me."

"I couldn't see you Carrie. I was not mentally okay, or physically. I had this tremendous guilt that weighed down on me. I went back to school the next week and everyone was asking me about you, but I didn't know. Mouse was letting me know that you were okay and you were going to be fine, but I was a coward, I couldn't go see you. But you know the rest."

I took a deep breath. That answered so many of the questions that plagued me to this day. That's why he hadn't tried to contact me after the accident. That's why he avoided me and that's why he came to see me after graduation before I moved to New York. He needed closure. He needed to make sure for himself that I was okay before I left.

"I get it now. I understand now why you couldn't see me. And I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. It wasn't your fault, you know?"

"Yeah, that's what everyone says. But it still sticks with me." I nodded, not having any more words. I sat up and took a deep breath. I got off the bed and ran my fingers through my hair. His vulnerability to me made me love him even more. He hung his head and I moved closer to him. I took my hand to his chin and I gently pushed it up so he would look at me.

"I'm sorry Carrie, I'm out of words. I can't tell you anymore, there's nothing else to it."

"Then don't talk. Just kiss me." I said before crashing my lips into his. He was surprised at first, but once he realized what was happened, he kissed me back. We made out for a while, but before things got too hot and heavy, I pulled away.

"Let's leave all of this in the past. Let's move forward, starting now." He smiled and I couldn't resist his smile. I kissed him again. He laid there on my bed for a long time, neither of us sleeping, but enjoying the moment, the here and now, and making up for the past year that we had spent apart. Eventually, we both fell asleep in the familiar embrace.


	3. Chapter 3

Rehashing the Past

I shivered as the air conditioning hit my toes. The arms around me wrapped even tighter to keep me warm. It was Friday, and I had to be at work in less than an hour. If I didn't get up now, I never would. I sighed and cherished the last few minutes of bliss that ensued. I unwrapped the arms around me, trying not to wake Sebastian. I hopped in the shower and retreated back to my room with my towel on. I put my hair up and tried to quietly search for an outfit. I dropped my hairdryer on the wooden floor, and inevitably woke up Sebastian and probably everyone in the apartment under mine.

"Nice view." He mumbled while snuggling into the covers. I smiled at his remark.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I was trying so hard to be quiet!"

"No, it's fine, don't worry about it! I should probably go anyway…" He trailed off, not knowing if he should leave before Carrie heads off to work.

"What time do you have to meet your mom?"

"She said she would call me. Speak of the devil…" Sebastian's beeper went off and he went into the kitchen to call her. I got dressed while he was on the phone. He came back in a few minutes later, pulling a t-shirt on.

"Well same old, same old. She bailed again." Sebastian gave a knowing smile to me.

"You could stay with us for the night again and come back to Castlebury and stay with my family for the holiday? Only if you want to, of course. Sorry, was that too forward of me? It's just you shouldn't spend Labor Day alone, and I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind."

"Carrie, I couldn't do that to you, I've already overstayed my welcome."

"What if I told you that I wanted you to stay tonight and come home with me?"

"Well then I would have to say that I would love to." He smiled and sat back down on my bed.

"Why don't you go back to bed, and then shower and meet me at one at Interview? We can go to lunch or something? I should be done by then, it's a half day anyway." I suggested, hoping he would say yes.

"Of course. I'll be there!" He kissed me before crawling back into my bed. I smiled and turned the light off, closing the door behind me. I explained to Walt that he was coming home with me for the weekend and that he would be around tonight. Walt said he would be at class anyway, so he probably wouldn't even see him too much. Walt was going to spend the weekend at Bennet's family's house in Cape May.

Bennett and I took the subway into the city and arrived at 7:53, seven minutes before I had to be there. Larissa wasn't even there yet, but that was no surprise. I tried to get all of my work done as fast as I could but time was going by at a snail's pace. It was because I wanted to see Sebastian so much. My stomach was churning. I didn't feel well, my nerves were literally making me sick. I called my dad to ask if I could bring Sebastian home, hoping that it would distract me.

"Hello?"

"Hey dad!"

"Hi sweetie, what's up?"

"Well I was wondering if I could bring someone home to spend the weekend with us?"

"Is this someone a he or a she?"

"It's a he."

"What's his name?"

"You'll meet him when we get there, I promise. You'll like him, I have a funny feeling." I was playing coy with him because I knew he would be surprised when it was Sebastian. My dad always asked about him, but I was always out of the know about him too.

"Alright, I trust you sweetie, what time does your train get in?"

"Change of plans, we're not taking the train. He drives." I could hear my dad chuckle on the other end. He had really opened himself up to the idea of me dating.

"Okay, well we'll see you when you get in. I love you Carrie."

"Love you too." I hung up the phone and took a few deep breaths. That managed to calm my nausea for a little while. I glanced at the clock. It was about 12:45. I had to do something to get my mind off of Sebastian's impending visit. I straightened up my desk to make myself look more professional. I straightened out my square computer and rolled around in my chair for a few minutes. I had never been this bored at work. My phone started to ring which gave me a bit of comfort.

"Carrie Bradshaw?" I answered. I was infuriated at the phone call. I was pretty sure I was yelling at my intern Joe when Sebastian walked through those doors.

"No! Joe, I need it to be at 5 on Thursday! Not 7 on Wednesday! I already have the Buch interview that night! I asked you to do one thing! One thing! That's it. Is it really that hard? And I told you to send the piece about the satin fabric not the piece about how plum is the new fall color! I need you to fix that as soon as possible before heading out for the weekend because if you don't, that's what gets sent to the printer and it's my ass that gets in trouble, not yours! So fix it!" Joe definitely was not the best intern, but if Larissa hadn't given me a chance, I wouldn't be here now, so I had to give Joe a chance. I scribbled some of his notes on a post-it before telling him to have a good holiday weekend.

"Wow, someone's in trouble."

"Sorry you had to hear that. It's just so frustrating sometimes. He can not take directions at all." I chuckled as Sebastian's presence immediately calmed me.

"You ready to head out?"

"Yeah, just let me grab my bag." I walked behind my desk and gathered my things.

"So what're you in the mood for?"

"Well let's just say that I've taken this into my own hands. I already got lunch for us. Do you want to head to the park?"

"Of course!" I was happily surprised that he spent his morning thinking about me.

We walked the few blocks to the park and Sebastian pulled out a blanket and laid it on the grass.

"This is sweet, you know? Thanks for doing this."

"Anything for you. So at the risk of messing whatever this is up, what are we exactly?"

"Um, well I don't know. What do you think?"

"I think you know how I feel about you."

"Last night made me realize that I feel the same way about you. I've never stopped loving you."

"So does that make us official?"

"I certainly think it does." I smiled and bit my lower lip after saying that. He smiled back and kissed me. The day was hotter than ever and it was starting to go to my head. We ate lunch and started to walk back to the subway station to head back to the apartment. I packed a few of my things and before I knew it, we were getting in the car and on our way home. About an hour and a half later we were pulling into my driveway. It had taken so long because of the traffic leaving the city. Everyone was trying to get out. The locals were anyway.

"Ready?" I asked him before opening the passenger side door. He nodded and grabbed my hand. I opened the front door and walked Sebastian inside. I found my dad in the kitchen dancing around with Miller. Dorrit was nowhere to be seen.

"Carrie! I missed you honey!" My dad wrapped me in a hug before looking to see who the boy I brought home was.

"I missed you too Dad."

"Oh Dad, this is my boyfriend, Sebastian." I said boyfriend for the first time in over a year. My dad was surprised to see Sebastian, but he was elated. He had always liked him, especially after he saved me in the accident.

"Sebastian, how are you?" My dad shook his hand. Sebastian replied with a "Great now."

"Well how long has this been going on?" My dad certainly wasn't expecting Sebastian to be the boy I was bringing home. He seemed sincerely happy.

"Since last night. We actually bumped into each other at The Oak Room, and we stayed up all night talking, it was magical Dad." I got a little carried away with my monologue, and I could tell that my dad didn't really care. He feigned enthusiasm for me and turned his back and rolled his eyes to Miller.

"Where's Dorrit? I want to see her!" I hadn't seen Dorrit since the fourth of July and I actually missed her when I was in New York. Walt was great to talk to and all, but he didn't understand when it came to girl things.

"She's upstairs, ignoring Miller and I bonding."

"Well you can do some more man bonding, I'm going to go find her." I bounded up the stairs and knocked on Dorrit's door.

"Dad I swear to God, if you invite me to come jam-out with you and Miller one more time…" I barged in her room and surprised her. She jumped off her bed and hugged me. I felt bad about leaving her to fend for herself with only Dad around, but she was doing okay. She had Miller to help her through it.

"Carrie, I missed you!" She hugged me back for once. I was surprised that she was showing some sort of emotion.

"I missed you too Dorr, has Dad driven you crazy yet?"

"Just about."

"Come on downstairs, I think dinner is about ready."

"So who's this boy you brought? Dad was worried he would be some New York weirdo."

"Oh you'll see." I stepped behind Dorrit as she descended the stairs. She scanned the room and saw Miller, my dad, and Sebastian.

"Sebastian's the boy you were bringing home? I should've known." Dorrit gave Sebastian a smile and headed into the kitchen where there was dinner on the table. We all sat down and engaged in casual conversation. I wondered what my dad would say about the sleeping arrangements, normally, Sebastian would sleep on the couch, but Miller was staying there while his house was under construction. After our dinner, Sebastian and I sat out on the deck where it was thankfully a little cooler than it was in New York. After eating, my nausea had come back and I felt a little faint. This heat wasn't really working in my favor today. As the night progressed, the nausea subsided, but the pain became more of a stabbing in my abdomen. I shook it off, I was probably just getting cramps. I left Sebastian on the deck to go inside and get a glass of water. I ran into my dad on my way outside.

"So, about the sleeping arrangements, I know you have your own apartment in New York and all, and you made it pretty clear earlier that you and Sebastian spent last night together, so he can sleep with you in your room, but no funny business Caarrie! That's the last thing I want to hear tonight!" My dad was half joking but half serious about the last part. I smiled and agreed that nothing would happen and both Sebastian and I knew that. I was tired around nine and still not feeling great, so Sebastian and I told everyone goodnight and headed up to my room, leaving Dorrit, Miller, and my dad to watch a movie, much to Dorrit's dismay. I led Sebastian to my room and closed the door behind us. His bag was already up there and I started stripping my clothing off because I was sweating. When did it get so hot in here? He couldn't help but stare, and I couldn't help but blush.

"Why are you blushing Carrie? You are the most beautiful girl in the world. You shouldn't be ashamed of that." He said as he shed his t-shirt and his jeans. He walked over to me and wrapped his strong arms around my tiny body in only his boxers. I couldn't help but be turned on by his body. He was so muscular and tall, and he was standing there practically naked, as was I. He pulled away and I put on a big t-shirt that actually belonged to Sebastian at one time.

"That shirt looks familiar. I like it better on you though." He winked at me and went to brush his teeth. I pulled my hair up and took a deep breath to calm my stomach pains. That only seemed to make it worse. I sat down on my bed and closed my eyes, or more like clenched them shut. Sebastian must have noticed my discomfort when he came from the bathroom and he rushed over and knelt at my side.

"Carrie, are you alright, what's wrong?"

"I'm okay, I'm fine, I just have cramps, that's all." His face twisted, signaling his discomfort in the conversation. I got up from the bed and brushed my teeth. I came back to find Sebastian already in my bed.

"I forgot how comfortable your bed is. Oh my god, this is so nice."

"Hey now, don't get too comfortable, you're going to have to move over you know?" I climbed in next to him.

"You're beautiful Bradshaw, you know that?"

"You aren't too bad yourself Kydd." Now it was my turn to wink at him. He kissed me hard on the lips and I wanted him right then and there. I know I promised my dad no funny business, but I couldn't help myself. It was like my hormones hit me like a ton of bricks in that moment. After making out for awhile, my t-shirt was discarded to the floor, leaving both Sebastian and I in or underwear. We froze in our positions when we heard my dad and Dorrit climb the stairs to go to bed. Once we were in the clear, I crashed my lips into his and bit his bottom lip, something I remembered drove him crazy. He tried to suppress his moans, and let out a big sigh instead. He sucked on my earlobe, which he knew made me weak in the knees. I bit my own lips this time to keep myself from making any more noise than we already were. I could taste the blood in my mouth because Sebastian was driving me nuts. I wanted him so bad, I wanted this for so long. It had been too long.

He softly bit the sensitive skin on my collarbone and moved to my breasts; his tongue swirling around each nipple. I knew I was going to have quite a few hickies tomorrow. His free hands pulled at the waistband of my underwear. He pulled them off and I flipped him over, so I was on top. My stomach was stabbing with pain right now, but I had to ignore it because of the pure bliss that I was in. I slid my hand down his boxers and teased him a little before pulling them off.

"Carrie, wait, should we be doing this? In your dad's house with your sister, her boyfriend, and your dad only a few feet away?"

"We'll just have to be quiet." I said shortly before I attacked his lips again. His hands were wondering to the lower parts of my body, while mine were doing the same to his. The I moved my whole body down so I was at eye-level with his penis. I sucked until I knew he wouldn't last if I kept going, and he looked at me for a moment.

"Ready?"

"Never been more ready for anything in my life." I panted as he rolled u over so he was on top. He was more experienced so I'd let him take the lead. It wasn't like I hadn't had sex before, I had, many times, but he had had sex many more times than I have. He smiled and kept his eyes locked on mine while he got closer to me. He entered me, but the only thing I could feel was the stabbing pain inside of my stomach. I screamed, not very loud, but loud enough for him to get the message. He quickly abandoned his station inside of me and looked at me with worried eyes.

"I'm so sorry Carrie, I didn't want to hurt you. Are you okay? What's wrong?" I was clenching my stomach at the moment and rolled over so I wasn't facing him. The pain was unbearable now. I cold barely breathe in between my sobs.

"Carrie, hey, look at me, what's going on? What can I do?" He was quickly off the bed, getting dressed, prepared to wake my dad up.

"Take me to the hospital, get me dressed first though." He ran around the room looking for my t-shirt and a pair of shorts at least to cover me up. I let out another yell as he was pulling my shorts up. He gathered me into his arms and opened the door, not caring how loud we were now. We had woken Miller up on our way out and Sebastian told him to wake Dorrit and my dad and come to the hospital. Sebastian put me in the passenger side of his car and shut the door behind him. He hopped into the driver's seat and put the keys in the ignition. Before he sped off, he reached around and put my seatbelt on. I cried the whole way there. I was a bit embarrassed at how hard I was crying but this pain was one I had never felt before. It felt like someone was ripping my insides out. He put his car in park at the emergency entrance and pulled me out of the car. He walked inside with me in his arms and quickly found a wheelchair. He placed me down in it and took me over to the receptionist's desk.

"Hi, my girlfriend is in an incredible amount of pain right now, I don't even know what's wrong with her, she hasn't been able to talk that much, it hurts too bad." The receptionist paged a doctor who came and took her away, telling Sebastian to join them when he parked his car. He was back in the room in ten minutes and found me in a hospital bed. Since the hospital was pretty empty at this time, it didn't take long for them to do an ultrasound and find that my appendix were swollen and they wanted to remove it before it ruptured. They put me on an IV and some morphine, which was making me a bit giggly. Sebastian sat with me and couldn't help but laugh at my current drugged up state. He left to go get some coffee while they were prepping me for surgery.

Sebastian's P.O.V.

I tried to make my trip to the vending machine quick, knowing Carrie was delusional in there and I didn't want her to be alone. I got my coffee to keep me awake and as I was passing through the hallway, I saw Tom, Dorrit, and Miller, looking around for me, I presumed.

"Tom!" I called and jogged down the hallway to them. Tom looked a little confused, panicked, and tired all at the same time.

"What's going on?" Tom asked as soon as I reached the group.

"She has appendicitis, they're prepping her for emergency surgery right now."

"Well are we allowed to see her?" Dorrit asked.

"Yeah, of course, I just came out to get a coffee, I have a feeling it's going to be a long night." I led them to the room, but before I opened the door, I heard Carrie let out a loud laugh.

"She's a little…loopy…They put her on morphine, so, there's that…" I trailed off and I'm pretty sure everyone understood what I meant since they could hear her. I opened the door and let them in, as I took the seat that I previously occupied.

"Sebastian! And Daddy! That's a weird combination. I don't like to think of you two together in that sense. Nope, definitely not." Carrie said with a disgusted face.

"Yeah, I don't think anyone does Car, but thanks for that." Tom said as he sat down, glad that his daughter was okay.

"So how did this happen? What brought this on?" I could sense a lapse in judgment coming Carrie's way, but wasn't quick enough to interrupt her.

"We were having sex and then I just couldn't breathe! It was like I was being stabbed!" Carrie burst out.

"She's joking! That did not happen! I was asleep actually and she woke me up. She was grabbing her stomach and couldn't really talk. She was sobbing and a mess. I promise you Mr. Bradshaw, that did not happen, she doesn't know what she's talking about. I wouldn't disrespect you that way." I worked damage control for my loose-lipped girlfriend.

"You're lucky, I don't think I could believe a single thing out of her mouth right now." Tom laughed at the uncomfortable situation.

"I guess I was just having sex with you in my mind then." Carrie remarked, upset that no one believed her. The nurse walked in right then and laughed at the tense situation.

"Alright, who was with her before she came to the hospital?" I replied I was and the nurse asked the rest of the family to step out of the room while finished getting Carrie prepped for surgery. They told her they loved her, knowing they wouldn't be able to see her before surgery. I was able to stay because the doctor wanted to ask me a few questions.

"Okay, so were there any signs earlier in the day that Carrie didn't seem right?"

"After dinner, she said she didn't feel too well, and then about an hour before I brought her in, her face was all scrunched up in pain and I asked her what was wrong and she told me she thought it was just cramps."

"Alright, and what activities were you two doing today that might have contributed to this?" Carrie caught my eye and winked a very obvious wink.

"She went to work, we ate lunch, we drove in from New York, we ate dinner, we relaxed a little, and then we…had sex." I was slightly embarrassed to reveal that, but he was a doctor and had to know.

"Well, we almost had sex, he put it in and I was in so much pain, I couldn't even let him finish!" My cheeks were flushed now as Carrie just told the doctor every detail about our earlier interaction.

"Car, I'm sure he doesn't need to know all of the details." I said, trying to shut her up. She just shrugged. The doctor was intrigued by this fact though.

"And she's not a virgin?"

"No."

"Have you two had intercourse before?"

"Yes."

"That's interesting, that it hurt when she was penetrated, that could mean an ovarian cyst, we'll have to check that out when we're in the OR." I shuddered at the word penetration. I really didn't want to hear that from a doctor. I nodded, before adding a last comment.

"Oh, and if it's possible, could we keep the sex part from her dad?" I was praying to God that he would say yes.

"She's 20, so legally, her dad doesn't have to know anything." The doctor reassured me. I thanked him before he left to gather his team for the surgery. I was left with Carrie whose medicine seemed to be wearing off.

"You'll be fine baby, I promise. I'll be right here when you wake up to remind you that you told your dad that we had sex in his house while everyone was sleeping." I joked and she stifled a short laugh. She was getting drowsy, so I figured I'd say my goodbyes now.

"I love you Bradshaw." I kissed her on the forehead before leaving the room to update her family. They were taking her into surgery now anyway, so I watched her off to the OR until I couldn't go any farther. I found the rest of the Bradshaw clan in the waiting room. I threw out my empty coffee cup on my way over.

"What did the doctor want?" Tom asked as I sat down next to him.

"He just wanted to know if I noticed her being a little off today or anything. I told him I hadn't really noticed anything except she told me she wasn't feeling well earlier and then she looked like she was in pain when we were getting ready for bed, but she told me it was cramps." Miller, Tom, and myself cringed at the word cramps. It was almost as bad as penetration, but not quite.

"Okay, well did they say how long the surgery could be?"

"He said about an hour and a half. He also said they are checking for an ovarian cyst, which might also be causing her pain." Tom's face went white, as did Dorrit's. I was confused.

"What, does she have a history of those or something?"

"No, well, I mean not yet, but her mom died of ovarian cancer. And it all started with a cyst." Tom said solemnly. I gave him a reassuring nod, but I was trying not to panic. I'm sure everything would be fine. We waited for the hour with minimal conversation, but we tried to keep the feelings light. Her doctor walked over to us and told us that the surgery had been successful in removing her appendix, and that they found no signs of an ovarian cyst. This relieved us all. We were allowed to visit her, but she was pretty out of it.

"Tom, you guys can go home, get some sleep. She's probably going to be out for the night anyway. I can stay. Or at least take those two home, they look like they're sleep walking." I motioned to Dorrit and Miller.

"You kidding me? You think I'm leaving those two by themselves? No way. Never." Tom replied chuckling, I had to laugh in response because his assumption about Dorrit and Miller was probably true.

"But, I think we will head home, now that we know Carrie is safe, and you'll be here. We'll be back in the morning, but call us if anything changes."

"Will do." The three of them left the hospital and I went back to Carrie's room. She looked semi-awake, but a little dazed, probably from the anesthesia.

"Hey you." I whispered as I entered the room, keeping the lights off so she could fall asleep soon.

"Hi." She was groggy, I could tell by her voice.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I had my insides removed. Oh wait, I did."

"Bradshaw, always with the sense of humor. Want to hear something funny?"

"Sure."

"You told your dad that we were having sex under his roof while he was sleeping. You also used the phrase 'Well, we almost had sex, he put it in and I was in so much pain, I couldn't even let him finish!' to the doctor." I relayed her previous actions to her as she looked at me in horror.

"I did not! Oh my god! No! What did my dad say?"

"You're lucky I was here, I was like nope, she's loopy, I'd never do that to you Mr. Bradshaw. But just so you know, we are never, under any circumstances, having sex at your dad's house ever again." I chuckled.

"That's understandable." She was still mortified by what she said, but she was giggling too.

"Why don't you try to rest Car?"

"Hold me."

"I can't, do you see how small that bed is? I don't think I could fit by myself in it. And plus, you just had surgery, I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything. Just relax and eventually you'll fall asleep."

"Well if you aren't going to get up here with me, could you scratch my arm? That always makes me fall asleep." I didn't need her to tell me that. I would never forget that about her. I smirked and obliged. I held her left hand in my right and slowly and lightly drug my nails across her skin. She was asleep within minutes. I sat back in the chair and eventually dozed off myself.


	4. Chapter 4

Rehashing the Past

Carrie's P.O.V.

I was in that state where you're still sleeping, but you can hear the things going on around you. Someone was moving around the room and making a bunch of noise. My eyes opened when someone touched me on the back of my hand.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you sweetie, I was just switching out your IV." A nurse walked to the other side of my bed and was messing with whatever was in the bag. I smiled back at her and saw that no one else was in the room. Where had Sebastian gone? My question was answered when he walked through the open door with another coffee in his hand and a water bottle.

"You're awake! How're you feeling?"

"I'm okay, I can't really feel it yet, I'm still on the medicine, but the nurse told me it's going to wear off soon, so I'm really looking forward to that." I said sarcastically.

"Please tell me that coffee is for me?"

"Unfortunately, no. But the water is. Your doctor said clear liquids until this morning, then you can do soft foods, like yogurt, applesauce, stuff like that." I would not be a happy camper without my coffee. I was frustrated. I just wanted to get out of the hospital and go back to the city.

"Did he say when I can leave?"

"He said probably tomorrow, but he said you're going to need to take it easy for the next few days, which means no work."

"No work! How can I do that? I have deadlines!" I was really upset now, knowing that people would have to cover for me.

"They'll understand Carrie, I think you'll appreciate it when the pain medicine wears off and you're in pain. Do you want to call them?" I nodded and he pulled out his cell phone. I pulled the antenna up at called Larissa's cell phone. She was supposed to be on some lavish trip to California for the weekend with some boy.

"Hello?" She answered in her adorable accent.

"Larissa! Glad I reached you! How's California?"

"It would be better if I was doing the nasty with my friend, but I'm on the phone with you, so let's make this quick." She said in true Larissa fashion.

"I just wanted to let you know that I won't be able to come into work next week. I had an emergency appendectomy last week and I'm still in the hospital." I explained the situation to her.

"Oh Carrie, darling, what happened?"

"Just a bad case of appendicitis I guess. I hope I'm not putting you guys out too much."

"No, don't worry about it, just work on getting yourself better!" I hung up the phone and felt a little better that I wouldn't be letting people down. I called Joe and asked him to reschedule all of my meetings for the next week and told him to go to the events I was scheduled to be at and take diligent notes on everything going on. He was a little worried, but I told him he'd be fine and I let him enjoy the rest of his holiday. I drank my water slowly and couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny over there Bradshaw?"

"It's just, I can't imagine that this was what you had in mind when I invited you home with me this weekend."

"I'm just glad you're okay. You scared me Car. I thought I did something."

"Nope, you were perfect." I winked at him and he blushed.

"Carrie, I have to tell you something." He got serious all of a sudden.

"What is it?"

"You know how I told you I spent a semester at UCONN?" I nodded.

"Well, I lied."

"What do you mean?"

"The only reason I didn't tell you was because I knew you'd be upset and worried or something."

"Sebastian, just tell me. What is it?"

"After graduation and you moved to New York, I joined the army."

"The army? Are you nuts? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Honestly, I didn't tell you because it's hard to talk about, but I knew that I couldn't keep living a lie." I felt bad for my outburst when he said how hard it was for him to talk about.

"Well, can I have a little more information? Were you deployed? What happened?"

"Well, I was sent to Fort Drum, in upstate New York. From there, I was transferred to Fort Bragg and then I was deployed to Iraq. I was there for six months and then my tour was over. But those six months were the worst thing I have ever had to do. I saw a lot of people die; my guys, their guys, civilians, there was no mercy."

"I cannot believe this! How- were you okay? You didn't get hurt or anything right?"

"I was fine physically, but mentally, it was awful. It was just you had to constantly be on edge all the time. I got back about a month ago."

"A month ago…does that mean you have to go back?" I asked, nervously.

"I hope not. I don't plan on it. I mean, my tour ended so I'm done. I lost too many people out there."

"I'm sorry, that's awful. But why are you telling me this now?"

"I didn't want to have to hide anything from you. And my buddy called and is coming to visit me, and I didn't want you to find out from someone else. But I've also been thinking of something else."

"What?"

"I was thinking about getting a place in the city, so I could be closer to you. But I don't want you to think we're moving too fast or feel like I'm crowding your space. I know how much you love the city."

"I would love it if you moved to the city, then I could see you all the time. Plus I'm not that powerful, I can't keep somebody from the city. Not yet anyway." I giggled and he grinned.

"Can I use your phone to call Walt? I just want to see how his holiday is going. And could you maybe go get me some soup from the cafeteria? I'm starving!" I asked of my boyfriend. It felt so weird to say boyfriend again in relation to Sebastian.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll be back." He kissed me on the top of my head and he left my room. I quickly dialed Bennet's number and he gave me to Walt.

"Carrie, how's it going?"

"Good, well, so-so, but that's a different story. But anyway, why I called, I was wondering if you would have any objection to Sebastian moving in with us? He hasn't asked or anything, so he won't know if you say no, but he said he's looking for a place in the city, and he would share my room and that's an extra person to help pay rent and for groceries and stuff? I questioned Walt, hoping he wouldn't have a problem with that.

"Yeah, that's fine with me. I feel like I'm never home anyway." He laughed before continuing, "but why are things only so-so?"

"Well I'm in the hospital, I had appendicitis and had to have an appendectomy last night, but other than that, I'm having the time of my life with Sebastian."

"Car, are you sure you aren't moving too fast?"

"Walt, I've been waiting for him for the past year and a half! I just want to spend all of my time with him. He joined the army after I moved to New York because he didn't know what to do with himself. I'm finally ready to have a normal relationship." I explained to Walt who understood. We hung up the phone a few minutes later because I didn't want to use up all of Sebastian's minutes. He came back with some chicken broth and sat and helped me eat it. We were both laughing because I was getting it all over myself and he had to help me when my dad walked in.

"Well, it certainly looks like you're feeling better."

"So much better actually. I just want to leave. I hate it here!"

"Well they're just trying to keep you safe Car." My dad pointed out and I nodded my head.

"So did they say when you could come home?"

"Tonight hopefully. But he said tomorrow probably."

"You'll make it. Well I just wanted to stop in and see how you were doing. What have you been up to?"

"Just making work calls and trying to eat soup, but that's not working out very well." I looked down at the hospital gown I had on and saw that it was covered in hot liquid. Sebastian had a few splashes on him too.

"Oh, by the way Dad, Sebastian told me what I said last night, and I promise you, that was the drugs talking." Sebastian blushed at my bringing up the conversation again and my dad did too. I was just laughing.

"I believe you honey." He smirked. We talked for a few more minutes and then he left to go make sure Dorrit was behaving, which she probably wouldn't. The doctor came in to check on me around 2pm.

"Well Carrie, I'm happy to say that your incision seems to be healing nicely. If you aren't in too much pain would you like to leave tonight?" My eyes lit up. Of course I would like to leave tonight.

"I would love that!"

"Alright, I'll get the discharge papers ready. You should be out of here by 5." He left to get the paperwork together and I turned to face Sebastian.

"Do you think you could just take me back to the city tonight? I just want to sleep in my own bed, I think I'll be much more comfortable there."

"If your doctor says that's fine then of course I will."

"And you'll stay with me?"

"If that's what you want."

"It is." The doctor walked back into the room and gave me my discharge instructions.

"Okay, take it easy for the next week, no work, no exercise, and especially, no sexual activity," He looked at me and then Sebastian, who nodded, "You can start soft foods whenever you want and gradually get back to normal foods over the next few days. Nausea is completely normal, vomiting too, as long as it's not excessive. That may happen tomorrow when your pain medication has completely worn off. If you experience any bleeding of any kind, or extreme pain or discomfort, come back to the hospital." I nodded and Sebastian asked him a question.

"We don't live here actually, we live in New York City, and Carrie wants to know if it's okay if we go back tonight, so she can rest at home and be more comfortable?" The doctor pondered for a few seconds before answering.

"I normally wouldn't recommend it, but I agree with you that she will be more comfortable in her own bed at her own home. It should be fine, since the trip isn't too long, just be precautious." HE answered and I did a happy dance in my mind. A nurse was going to be in to take my IV out and redress my incision before I could leave, but I asked Sebastian to call my dad and let him know we wouldn't be able to stay for the actual holiday. He stepped outside to make the call while I starting getting dressed into the clothes I came in. Sebastian came back in a minute later and told me that my dad was fine with that and he agreed, going home would probably be better. He helped me pull the t-shirt he put me in to come to the hospital back on and I slipped into the shorts. By around 4:45, we were on our way to my dad's to get my things.

"Do you mind if we stop by my dad's place real quick before we head out? I just need to grab a few things if you want me to stay for the next few days.

"That's fine, but I talked to Walt earlier, and we both agreed that, if you want, you could move in with us? I mean we'd have to share a room, but it'd be cheaper for everyone, and I could see you whenever I wanted to.

"Are you sure Car? Because then you'd have to see me even when you don't want to."

"I always want to see you!" He laughed and told me he would love that.

"Good thing most of my stuff is still packed, I came home and dropped my stuff off and have been living out of my duffel bag mostly." He chuckled. I waited in the car as he grabbed he things and put them in the trunk of his car. I caught a glimpse of his bag, which was a canvas green color with "Kydd" stitched into it. He was carrying a pair of boots, which I could only assume were his army boots because I have never seen him wear them any other time. I wasn't going to lie, him with all of his army things made him really sexy. He hopped into the driver's seat and we were finally about to go home.

The drive took only about an hour, and I was unlocking my, our, apartment only minutes afterwards. Since we lived in Queens, Sebastian found parking easily in our building's garage. I was feeling tired from all of the day's activities and went to bed around 8. Sebastian made himself dinner from our surplus of takeout leftovers because I wasn't hungry. I heard him turn the TV on in our small living room and I felt him come to bed about an hour later. I snuggled up next to him and fell into a deep slumber until I stirred around 3. I felt awful. I had that feeling in the back of my throat that I knew I was going to throw up soon. I was as still as I could be and crawled out of bed, trying not to wake Sebastian. I shut the bathroom door silently behind me and locked it, out of habit. I knelt down at the toilet and waited, that's all I could do. I laid down on the cool tiles of the floor that kept my cheeks from feeling like they were on fire. About two minutes later, I could feel the vomit traveling up my throat, almost like in slow motion. I pulled my head up from the floor and knelt over the toilet bowl. I heaved all of the day's contents out of my stomach and into the toilet. Tears were coming from my eyes, not because it hurt that bad, but that's just a bodily function I think, to cry when you're throwing up. It actually made me feel better, at least it made my stomach feel better. After two minutes of throwing up, I pulled away, thinking I was done. I heard a knock on the door, but before I could answer, another wave of nausea hit me.

"Carrie? Are you okay? Can you let me in?"

"Carrie, I'm worried, please, let me in."

"Alright, I'm unlocking the door and coming in." He was talking so fast, and I would've let him in, but I was pretty sure he didn't want to see this and I was a little busy at the moment. I heard the lock pop open and then felt a hand on my back, holding my hair from my face as I continued to throw up. After a solid two more minutes of vomiting, I knew there couldn't be much left to throw up. I slowly leaned back from the toilet and leaned against the wall.

"Brush your teeth and then we'll get you back to bed, alright?" He suggested as he helped me stand up. I brushed my teeth as he cleaned up the toilet and then he led me back to my bed.

"So you're sure you're okay? We don't need to go to the emergency room?"

"No, I'm fine, I just want to sleep." I said, smirking at his worried expression.

"If you're positive."

"I am." He tucked me into bed and kissed my forehead before he went out into the kitchen to do something. I didn't even hear him come back to bed because I was out like a light.

The weekend ended and Walt came home on Monday. I was feeling a lot better, the only pain I was having was the incision, which was healing nicely. I get my stitches out next Monday, so I'm looking forward to having all of this behind me. I was pretty bored the following week because I couldn't go to work and Sebastian had gotten an HR job in the city through a program for soldiers whose tours ended. I was home alone most of the day, but usually we either ate just me and Sebastian, or the three of us, but sometimes Bennett would come over, too. Larissa came to visit me one day and to check up on how I was feeling. I could do a little work at home, but it was either typing stories that I already had the information I needed or talking on the phone with people. Joe had brought the notes I needed by on Thursday, so I could type some short pieces on the gala events that he attended in my place. I feel like I have seen every single episode of Cheers and Growing Pains.

After I ad recovered and gone back to work, I learned of a black tie affair for veterans in the city on Veterans Day. Larissa asked me to go to cover the event, and I told her that would be great, considering my boyfriend was a veteran.

"Wait, that 20 year old boy toy of yours is a veteran? That's sexy. You wouldn't mind if I borrowed him, would you?" She joked after I filled her in on the story.

"How romantic. Carrie, do you think he's going to ask you to marry him?"

"Larissa! We've only been actually dating this time for like 5 weeks! There's no way!"

"But he obviously loves you!"

"Stop it! You're embarrassing me!" I giggled before leaving the office for the day. I got home and Sebastian was already there, and so was Walt. I put my purse down at the door and practically ran to the bathroom. I emerged from the bathroom a minute later and both boys were staring at me.

"What?" I asked as I went to get a glass of water.

"Are you alright? You just sprinted to the bathroom…" Walt asked, laughing.

"I'm fine! I just had to pee really bad. I drank my first cup of coffee in 2 minutes and I haven't gone since. I've been trying to drink more water lately too. And I have my period, so I have to go to the bathroom like all the time. I didn't know it was strange for people to go to the bathroom these days Walt." I explained from the kitchen to where the boys were watching TV in the living room while going through the mail.

"Carrie, you realize you live with two boys, right? I mean, I know I'm gay, but I also know I don't want to hear you say those things!" I giggled at their discomfort.

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind, but one last thing! I know it's not my turn to go grocery shopping this week, so whoever is going is going to have to pick me up a few things." I said as I went back into my bedroom to change out of my work clothes. I heard those two mumbling to each other out in the living room.

"Dude, she's your girlfriend!"

"Yeah, but it's your turn to go to the store!"

"I'm not even into girls, why should I have to do that? It's like your civil duty or something." All I knew was that I was not going to the grocery store for the second week in a row.

"Oh Kydd, I almost forgot! There's this blank tie gala in the city on Veteran's Day, and I have to go for work and I'm supposed to bring a veteran. So guess whose lucky enough to have one as their boyfriend?" I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his chest because he was so much taller than me.

"I'm not a veteran, what are you talking about?"

"Of course you are, you served in the army, that's like the definition of a veteran."

"But veterans are like old guys who have half of their bodies blown up. I'm not a veteran. I did a six month tour. I'd be happy to go, but I'm not a veteran."

"Sebastian, you served overseas! You meet all of the qualification for a veteran! Plus you have to wear your fancy little uniform, do you have it here?" Sebastian groaned.

"I haven't worn that for a while. Plus, they'll all judge me for my long hair, they're very strict about that. Can I just wear a suit and pretend I'm not a veteran? I don't want the recognition. There's going to be guys there who have done great things and I don't want to look stupid. I'm just a sergeant, these guys are going to be like lieutenant generals Carrie!"

"Please, I've never seen you in your uniform!"

"It's not my uniform, it's what I have to wear to dressy occasions, I don't actually do anything worthwhile in that uniform. Now, my day-to-day uniform is great. I could live in that thing. Well, I practically did."

"You'll probably know some people there! And Larissa said you should invite some of your buddies, she can get all of them in! I think it'll be fun! I'll get to know this other side of you that I haven't seen before."

"Fine, I'll call some friends, but if they say no, I'm not going to bug them. And if they aren't wearing their dress blues than neither am I."

"You've got a deal Kydd." I laid my head back against his chest and we stood their swaying for a few seconds.

"I hate to ruin the moment…but what's for dinner?" I interrupted the silence, once feeling a pang in my stomach, signaling my hunger.

"I could do anything, really." Walt chimed in.

"We should order Chinese!" My eyes got big and hopeful. We all agreed and Walt called Bennett. We ordered and Bennett would pick it up on his way over.

"So what's the deal with Halloween? Is Larissa having her annual Halloween party?" Walt questioned while we sat at the table, laughing and chowing down on our lo mein and fried rice.

"Larissa always finds an excuse for a party, doesn't she?" Sebastian questioned and Bennett and I gave him serious nods. Larissa was a huge partier, and I couldn't really keep up nowadays.

"What's everyone going as?"

"We're going as Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. It'll be lavish!" I was excited about our costumes. I was just about done with them.

"I think I'm going to be a ghostbuster." Bennett added.

"I want to be Marty from Back to the Future."

"You could totally pull that off! You just need like a red vest!" I was already planning Walt's outfit. Halloween was in a week, but I was already excited. Larissa's party was this weekend though, so I had to go out tonight and grab a few things for my costume.

"Alright boys, I'm heading out, you sure none of you want to go with me?" All of the boys shook their heads no, even though Sebastian thought about going, but changed his mind. It was pretty cold out.

I wrapped my coat around me even tighter when I felt the cold air blow across my face. I headed to the subway station and got on the subway to Brooklyn. I normally wouldn't go to Brooklyn to find things to wear, but they have the best vintage shops, and I'm looking for some accessories for my costume. I got off the subway ten minutes later and found myself in the heart of Brooklyn, which really was beautiful, but it was stereotyped as an awful borough. I loved it though. I held my purse close and walked the sidewalk to a shop that Larissa showed me one day. It looked different at night though, so I went a few blocks out of the way of the store. I turned around, trying to figure out where the store was. I stood in place and looked up at my surroundings, trying to figure out where I was from landmarks.

"Don't scream, I have a knife." I heard a whisper in my ear. I froze. The voice automatically gave me chills. My eyes stayed forward, I was looking and praying that someone else was around. There wasn't anybody I could see, but maybe somebody was close. I debated screaming, but then I remembered that he had a knife.

"Now, you're going to give me everything you have on you and then you're going to let me walk away, no problem." The creepy voice said in the ear. All I could do was nod and raise my hands in the air.

"Those earrings look pretty nice too darling." I could feel the tears in my eyes as I took them off. They were my moms. I never took them off.

"Please, take anything but the earrings. They aren't worth that much, but they were my mom's and she died. Please, I'll give you anything else."

"Yeah right, what do you think I'm a sympathetic mugger? Take them off!" He was yelling now and I was shaking I removed them and he gathered all of my things, my keys, my purse, my wallet, my earrings, my bracelets, my necklaces, basically everything except my clothes.

"Now, you're going to count to one hundred and then walk in the opposite direction." He instructed and I knew I should follow his directions if I didn't want to get hurt.

"One…two…three…" I started counting, but I didn't hear his footsteps leaving. The next thing I knew, I was shoved hard to the ground and his footsteps were getting faster and harder to hear. I just laid there for a moment, before getting up. My hands were scraped and my knee. My tights were ripped and he had taken my coat. I was freezing. I had no phone, no money, no subway pass, and no way of getting home. While I laid there on the ground, I silently hoped that someone of decent morals would come and help me. I prayed while I laid down there too. I couldn't even remember the last time I prayed either, so God probably wasn't listening.

"Ma'am are you alright?" A police officer asked as he pulled his squad car over to the side of the road, near me on the sidewalk. I breathed a sigh of relief and began to stand up.

"Um, yeah, I'm okay, I think. I was just mugged though. He took my purse, wallet, coat, earrings, necklace, bracelets, everything and now I don't know how to get home. Not that I would be able to even if he hadn't taken my things. Can you help me?"

"Of course!" The nice officer was getting out of the car and he helped me brush off and he let me sit in the front seat of the squad car with him.

"What're you doing in Brooklyn, an area you don't know well, at nine at night anyway?"

"I was getting an outfit for Halloween, I had been to the store before, but during the daytime, and I got lost. It was a stupid idea of me anyway. I'm just glad you showed up because I honestly don't know what I would've done."

"That's my job. So I'll take you back to the station and I can get your full report and get your scrapes cleaned up. Do you have somebody that we can call to come get you?" I was thankful that I was safe, I was still pretty shaken up from the whole ordeal.

"Yes, my boyfriend." I gave him the number when we got to the precinct and he had his assistant call while he got my statement. I told him everything I could and he took me to a back room and pulled out their first aid kit. He rubbed antiseptic on my scrapes, which burned very bad. He wrapped some gauze around my one hand, but band-aids sufficed for my other hand and my knee. Now all I could do was sit and wait for Sebastian to get here.

Sebastian's P.O.V.

It was getting late and I was a little bit worried about Carrie. I knew she was a big girl and could handle herself, but the store closed at nine thirty and it was already ten thirty.

"Hey man, we're going to get ice cream, do you want to come with us?"

"No man, thanks, I just want to make sure Carrie gets home safe."

"Okay, do you think she'd want us to pick her up something?"

"I have a feeling she wouldn't mind a chocolate milkshake." I responded to Bennett's questioning. Then, the phone rang. I told the boys I would get it because they were getting their shoes on to go out.

"Hello?"

"Is this Sebastian Kydd?"

"Yes, it is."

"This is Officer Jones from the 75th precinct in Brooklyn. We have Carrie Bradshaw here and she needs picked up?"

"From the police station? Is she alright? What happened?" I started waving my hands around to get Bennett and Walt's attention.

"She was mugged tonight. She's fine though, a little shaken up. I'd bring a coat for her too, it's pretty cold out."

"Okay, yes, we'll be right there, thank you." I hung up the phone and got my leather coat out of the closet.

"The police station?" Bennett questioned.

"Yeah, Carrie got mugged, she's okay though, just a little shaken up he said." I filled them in and we departed the apartment. We rode the subway into Brooklyn and left the station. Bennett knew the area very well, so he took us the safest way to the station. I opened the doors to the precinct and saw her. She was sitting on a counter eating a banana. Before she noticed me, I checked her over. She looked fine from what I could tell. She got up to throw her banana peel away and noticed us. She smiled and walked over to us.

"Hey. Hi." I said as she approached.

"Hey. HI." She responded. I wrapped her in a hug and held her for a moment.

"Are you okay?" She nodded, but I checked her over once just to double check.

"What happened?"

"I got lost, I couldn't find the store and I was looking around to try and find some sort of landmark that could clue me in to where I was and I heard this voice a few inches from my ear and he said to give him everything I had on me and then he ran away. Thankfully, Officer Jones was in the area and helped me out."

"What are the band-aids from?"

"He pushed me when he ran away, so I couldn't see him or turn around."

"I'm so sorry this happened to you. Here." I shrugged off my leather jacket and put it around her shoulders. She smiled and said thanks. Officer Jones approached us.

"Army, huh? What unit?" He motioned to my gray t-shirt that read 'army.'

"Yes sir, sixth division Sergeant. Trained at Fort Bragg and deployed to Iraq. I'm on extended leave, released from active duty almost three months ago."

"Reenlisting?"

"I have yet to be discharged, but I don't plan to extend my tour. I have other things to worry about here." I motioned to Carrie who smiled.

"Well, thank you for your service. I hope things work out well for you. Well Carrie is free to go, and if we get any leads, we'll let you know." Officer Jones walked them out and promised to keep an eye out for the man Carrie described.

The two couples got back on the subway, and headed back to Queens.

"Well, I know it's been a long night, but we were going to grab ice cream, do you guys want some?"

"Well, I can't really say no to a chocolate ice cream…" Carrie trailed off and looked up at me.

"That's fine with me. I know you love your chocolate milkshakes." I smiled and grabbed her hand.

"I'm really glad you're okay Car."

"Me too." She tilted her head up to meet my eyes. I smiled and pulled her in for a kiss.


End file.
